Contact apparatus



(N0 ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.v E THOMSON CONTACT APPARATUS.

10.508,651. Patented Nov. `14, 189s.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. THOMSON.

CONTACT APPARATUS.

No. 508,651. Patented Nov. 14,1893.

UNrTnn STATES PnTnNT @Trient ELIHU THOMSON, OF SVAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR-TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

CONTACT APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,651, dated November 14, 1893. Applicationled September 17, 1891. Serial No. 406,007. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIHU THoMsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact Apparatus, of which the following. is a specication.

My present invention relates to contact apparatus and chiefly to commutatorsfor dynamos, motors and similar apparatus, but it is applicable generally to contacts insulated from each other and applied to vary the current through rheostats and the like.

The object of the invention is to secure a higherinsulation in the cases of commutators which, on account of the potential used with them, might be liable to short circuiting or leak from the segments through the supports and the invention consists, briefly, in dividing up the sustaining supports into segments which segments act to sustain a certain number of commutator segments insulated therefrom and the segments themselves being in turn, insulated from each other while carried upon a common support.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is an elevation of a disk commutator or contact apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an axial section of the same. Fig. 3 is a back view. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show modifications.

Reference to the figures is had in exemplifying the invention.

In Fig. 1, K represents a range of commutator segments insulated from each other and adapted to be connected to the winding of a dynamo, motor, or the like, or to various parts of a rheostat. These segments K are mounted with insulation t', between them and are also insulated by insulation placed under, around them, and at their ends, as seen in Fig. 2. This is the useful arrangement in mounting the segments of commutators. In myinventionhowever, the backing or carrier is itself divided into segments C, &c., which segments are in turn insulated one from the other, by being mounted upon a common plate P, Fig. 2, and having insulation 1l', interposed between the plate and the screws which carry the parts C, and insulation 2 between the several supporting segments C. By making the individually adjustable clamping devices i 'C' removable and replaceable by sustaining them by separate screws D, the segments may be removed, reinsulated or replaced without disturbing the other parts or the other groupsofsegments. ABythe constructionjust shown it is manifest that any leakage or connection which might form between any of the commutator segments K and the segmental support C would not have any damaging effect, since the segmental support C is itself insulated and it is further manifest that a leakage might occur from a segment of each paratus, since all'these segmental supports are insulated from each other and from the common carrier plate P. Damage could only occur by a leakage of two or more segments carried by the same segmental support and coincidently which is not liable to happen. Moreover such segments being more or less adjacent, such leakage would not be accompanied by any great electromotive force. Neither can arcing over the'surfaces of the segments and the supports have any bad effect, as these are insulated.

Fig. 3 gives a view of the back of the plate P, Fig. 2, and shows the insulated screws which are preferred as the means of support for the segmental portions. Of course the number of commutator segments K carried by each of the segmental portions is subject to Wide variation, and in fact one segmental support may be provided for each commutator segment as indicated in Fig. 4.. In this case, the several individually adjustable clamping devices C may be severally insulated from one another or several of them may be attached to one insulated back piece. This arrangement enables the removal of any segment to be effected without disturbing the others bysimplyunscrewing thebinding piece holding the pieces, Fig. 4 and removing the segment corresponding thereto. In this case, the insulation from between the sements K is allowed to project between the binding pieces, as shown.

Fig. 5 shows a similar' arrangementin which two segments are held by pieces C spanning the ends of the two segments. In this case two segments only would be disturbed in the removal of the piece c in case of damage or injury which required such attention. One form of the commutator in which the same principles of support may be utilized is seen in Figs. 6 and 7 Where at the end of each segment ofthe commutator is an insulatinglayer and then a piece C which is divided into several segments as shown in Fig. 7 which are insulated from each other, the ends of a number of commntator segments being forced into position by the screw nut of plate P' on a sleeve P which carries the whole arrangement. In this case it is well to have the insulation overlap the piece P at the ends, as shown at M.

It will be seen that in each of the above modifications, there is an insulated covering for the portion of the common support which is 'adjacent to the segments, such insulated covering consisting of the insulated separate plates or segments C in Figs. 1, 2, 8, i and 5 and of the insulated covering M in Fig. 6.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A contact apparatus comprising two or more contact pieces, and a segmental metallic support for such pieces, said segments being insulated from said pieces and from one another.

2. Acontact apparatus comprising a series vidually adjustable clamping devices for such contact pieces, and two or more insulated supports for such clamping devices and contact pieces.

4. A contact apparatus comprising a series of insulated contact pieces, a number of insulated supporting pieces for such contact devices, a common support for several ot' such supports, and insulated covering for a portion of the common supporting piece.

5. A contact apparatus comprising a series of insulated contact pieces, a common metal support for several of such pieces and an inu sulated covering for a portion of the common support adjacent to such pieces.

6. A contact apparatus comprising a series of contacts connected in circuit successively to points of `successively varying potential, and segmental metallic insulated supports for such contacts.

7. A commutator for dynalnos or motors having a number of separate insulated snpports for its segments and a number of individually adjustable clamping devices for such segments. y

S. A commutator for dynamos or motors having a common support for several of its segments and an insulated covering for the portion of such support adjacent to such segments.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of September, 1891.

lELIHU THOMSON.

Witnesses JOHN W. GIBBONEY, BENJAMIN B. HULL. 

